Bill Text: NH HCR25 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Failed) 2011-03-16 - House Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote; House Journal 28, PG.954 [HCR25 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2011-HCR25-Introduced.html

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HCR 25 – AS INTRODUCED

2011 SESSION

11-0272

05/10

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 25

A RESOLUTION urging Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns.

SPONSORS: Rep. Bergevin, Hills 17; Rep. C. Soucy, Hills 17

COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

ANALYSIS

This resolution urges Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns.

11-0272

05/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven

A RESOLUTION urging Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns.

Whereas, the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights states Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances; and

Whereas, in 1954, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, facing intense opposition from nonprofit groups in his bid for reelection, submitted an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code to ban all nonprofit groups from engaging in election activity, and without hearings or public debate, this amendment passed the Senate on a voice vote; and

Whereas, Senator Johnson's revision of the federal tax code was not targeted at churches and houses of worship but as a result they were caught up in the ban; and

Whereas, since then certain factions in the United States have targeted churches and houses of worship with hostile and egregious lawsuits depriving them of their first amendment right to freedom of speech to participate in America's political life; and

Whereas, in response to such actions, Congressman Jones of North Carolina introduced the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act of 2001, H.R. 2357, which proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to permit a church to participate or intervene in a political campaign and maintain its tax-exempt status as long as such participation was not a substantial part of its activities; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the New Hampshire state legislature urges Congress to introduce and pass legislation similar to the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act of 2001, H.R. 2357 to restore the first amendment rights of houses of worship by allowing them to fully participate in political speech in the United States of America; and

That copies of this resolution, signed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the senate president, be sent by the house clerk to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and to each member of the New Hampshire congressional delegation.